The Decision

by Patricia Roberts

  “Really?” Shelby asked surprised. “Yes so I have kept it all these years. I know your mom would be so proud of the woman you have become and would have loved this day” he told her. “I can give you some privacy if you need some.”

  “No I want you to stay.” Shelby opened the letter and began to read out loud.

  “Dear Shelby, if you’re reading this then it must be your wedding day. I have always smiled when I thought about how your day would be. You used to pretend to be getting married in the backyard with your friends and I would watch you and smile. If your reading this that also means that I didn’t make it, and for that I am so sorry. I wished that I had enough strength left to make it to your wedding but I can’t. I want you to know how much I love you and how proud of you I am. You’re a beautiful, bright, and kind young woman and don’t let anyone tell you differently. I think back to my wedding day and remember how nervous I was to be with your father. I had nothing to worry about. He has taken care of me for every second of our marriage. I hope that you find a great man to marry and that you two love each other as much as I loved John. I may not be there but I will be smiling down from heaven watching you. I will always love you. Love your mother, Hannah Ryan” Shelby said with tears in her eyes.

  “Thank you for giving this to me” Shelby told him. She looked up to see her father crying. “We both loved you so much and that will never change” he told her smiling. There was another knock on the door and Cody entered. “Wow Shelby you look amazing but what is with the tears?” he asked her. “Thanks I was just getting emotional with dad.”

  “I see you got a letter too” he told her. “You should have seen your brother when I gave it to him. He cried like a baby on his wedding.”

  “She would be proud of both of us” she told him smiling. “I think it’s about time.”

  “Alright let’s do this” she told them. Stephen stood down at the altar and was getting more nervous by the minute. He hadn’t been able to talk to her all day and he was anxious to see her. The doors opened and every one rose to see the bride. When she entered the room Stephen gasped. He had never seen Shelby look as beautiful as she did in that moment.

  “Who gives this woman to be married?” the preacher asked. “I do” John said giving her a kiss on the cheek and shaking Stephen’s hand. As they went through the ceremony it was like no one else was there. They only had eyes for each other the whole ceremony. “Shelby and Stephen have written their own vows. Shelby you can go first” the minister told her.

  “Stephen I have been waiting for this day to come since I first met you. There was an instant attraction and I have enjoyed every day we have had together. I promise to be there for you and love you. To comfort you in times of trouble and to laugh and be happy with you in times of joy. I promise to love you until my dying breath” Shelby said with tears in her eyes.

  “Shelby when I first met you I was convinced we had to stay away from each other” he said smiling while everyone laughed. “The thing that I didn’t realize was that once you become a part of Shelby’s life there is no getting out of it. I promise to be there for you always. If you’re sad I will be there to comfort you. I promise to make you smile every day and to make every moment count. I promise to love you until my dying breath” Stephen said smiling at her.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. Stephen you may kiss your bride” the pastor said. Stephen lifted the veil and kissed Shelby with all of the love he had. After he finished every one clapped. “Please welcome Stephen and Shelby Matthews.” Every one clapped as they walked down the aisle. When they reached the outside of the church Stephen picked up Shelby and twirled her around.

  “We’re married” she said happily. “I love you so much” he told her kissing her softly. When they got to the reception they ate there cake and drank there champagne. Soon after that Shelby spotted her grandmother and walked over with Stephen. “Oh sweetheart I am so happy for you.”

  “Thanks grandma” Shelby told her. “I would like to introduce you both to my husband Cliff Barns.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you. My grandmother has told me so much about you.”

  “It’s great to meet you also. I have heard a lot about you as well.” “Stephen let me be the first one to welcome you to the family.”

  “Thank you so much Paige. I promise to take good care of Shelby” he said giving her a hug. “I have complete faith in you” she told him smiling. A while later Samantha stopped Shelby to speak and she noticed it looked like Samantha had been crying.

  “Are you okay?” Shelby asked her concerned. “I just wanted to take a moment and thank you” she told her. “For what?” Shelby asked confused. “After Lily and Timothy died it was like a part of Stephen died with them. I didn’t think I would ever see my brother happy again and then we moved here. You have been a great friend to Ryan and me but you have saved my brother. When he looks at you I don’t see any sadness in his eyes anymore. There isn’t anyone else in the room when you’re around. You make his so happy and I have you to thank for that.”

  “Samantha I don’t know what to say” Shelby told her. “Don’t say anything just keep on doing what you’re doing. I am so happy that your apart of our family and that we are sisters now” she told her. Shelby gave her a hug as Stephen came over. “What is going on over here?” he asked them.

  “I think I am going to go dance with my dad so you two can talk” Shelby told them. “Are you okay?” Stephen asked Samantha. “For the first time in a long time I think we all are. It was so hard to be happy with Ryan in front of you. I knew you constantly thought of Lily and then we moved here and you found Shelby. She brings out so much happiness in you and I am so thankful for that. I am so happy for you and I hope that you both are as happy as I am with Ryan.”

  “Thanks I haven’t felt this good about things in a long time. I will always have a special place in my heart for Lily but I love Shelby with all of my heart.”

  “I have hoped for this day for so long” Samantha told him. “Am I interrupting?” Shelby asked coming back over. “Not at all” Samantha told her. “We’re going to have to leave soon to make our flight.” They were going to honeymoon in Montana and were going to have to make a flight that night.

  “Alright you two have a great time and I will see you when you get back.”

  “Alright” Stephen told her. When they made it to the vehicle they drove away and Stephen looked over at her. “Are you ready for this?” he asked her. “Yes” Shelby told him kissing his cheek.

  CHAPTER TEN

  It was a little over a two hour flight to Billings, Montana and Shelby began to think about what was about to happen to her. She began to get more nervous as the flight went by. She knew that Stephen was not a virgin like she was and she didn’t know what to expect. Stephen secretly watched Shelby during the flight and noticed she seemed to be getting nervous. He knew that this was going to be her first time and he wanted to make it special. When they got off the flight they had a driver waiting on them and took them to the hotel. As they made it up to the room Stephen looked at Shelby and grinned.

  “What?” she asked smiling. He bent down to pick her up. “What are you doing?” she asked giggling. “I am carrying my bride over the threshold.” She smiled at him as they entered the room. “I am going to get the bags” he told her kissing her forehead. Shelby looked around the room and gasped. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. There was a huge television with a couch and chairs, and dining area, and then there was a bed. It had to be a king size. She had never seen one that size before. She was still looking around when Stephen came back in the room.

  “So how do you like the room?” She turned around to look at her husband, she still smiled when she thought about the fact that they were married. “It is so beautiful” she told him. “Not nearly as beautiful as my bride.” She blushed and looked down. Stephen held her chin and she looked up at him. “I know that you’re nervous about tonight but I am just as nervous
.”

  “You are?” she asked him. “Of course I am. I have dreamed about this day for months and I want to be able to make it perfect.”

  “It will be because I am with you” she told him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her with a passion she had not felt from him before. He walked her backwards towards the bed. Shelby had worn a sundress and he lifted it over her head. “You’re so beautiful” he told her. She bit her lip and took his button down shirt off one button at a time. She looked at his chiseled chest and rubbed her hand all over and went down to his waist. She unbuckled his belt and undid his pants and they fell to the floor. She looked up and he and he smiled at her.

  “My turn” he told her as he took off her bra and panties. He gently laid her on the bed and started to kiss her. That night Stephen took his time loving every square inch of her body. She had never felt so loved in her life. When he entered her she was afraid it would feel rough but he was very gentle. “I love you so much Shelby” he told her. “I love you too Stephen” she told him and fell asleep. He smiled and caressed her cheek.

  He knew that he would love her for the rest of her life and he couldn’t wait to start their life together. Stephen fell asleep and dreamed he was walking in a meadow. He didn’t know where he was and was looking for anyone when he seen a woman standing there facing a waterfall with her back to him. She had on a long white dress and had long brown curly hair from behind. She looked a little familiar to him. She turned around and Stephen gasped. Standing there was Lily smiling at him.

  “Lily?” he asked her shocked. “Hello Stephen” she told him. “How are you here?” he asked her. “I wanted to talk to you” she told him. “Talk to me?” he asked confused. “I watched your wedding today and you were both beautiful.” Stephen looked at her with tears in his eyes. “Don’t be upset Stephen. All that I have ever wanted is for you to be happy and you have finally found someone to be happy with.”

  “I love you Lily” he told her. “I wanted to tell you that when Timothy was born and when I turned around you were gone.”

  “Oh sweetheart I have never had a doubt in my mind of your love for me you showed it to us every day. Timothy knows that you loved him also.”

  “Will I ever see you again?” he asked her. “I can’t say for certain that you will. I just wanted you to know how happy you had made me watching you get married to a woman who loves you with all of her heart. I will always be watching down on you two” she said sadly.

  “What is it?” he asked her. “I just want you to know as you move forward how much Shelby loves you and you need to remember how much you love her.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” he asked her.

  “You just need to remember. I have to go but I want you to know that I love you and I would have loved Shelby if I would have had a chance to know her. I will always be looking down on you from heaven but I want you to enjoy your life. It’s a new beginning for you both.” Stephen was about to say more when she disappeared and he woke up. He looked over to see Shelby curled up next to him. He pulled her closer and looked up. “Thank you” he whispered and fell back asleep. Over the next week Shelby and Stephen tried to get as much done as they possibly could. They went out to national parks and went shopping and sightseeing. They rode a carriage in town one evening and ate at the best restaurants. On their last day they decided to go rafting.

  “Are you ready for this?” Shelby asked excited. “Sweetheart with you I am ready for anything” he told her smiling. It was a little hard to maneuver at first but they finally got the hand of it. “This is so relaxing” Shelby told Stephen. “I know I wish we could stay here longer” he told her smiling. She smiled back and started to row again. They spent most of the day on the river and it was the most fun they had together since they had met. That night they went to an expensive steakhouse but Stephen didn’t mind. Shelby was worth anything and the food was incredible. The next morning they would be arriving back home and the honeymoon would be over. He knew that Shelby was sad to get back but could tell she had missed her family.

  “Alright I am all packed” she told him. “Great come over here and snuggle with me in bed” he said smiling. “Alright” she said giggling and curled up to him. The next morning they made it to the airport and headed home. They had decided before the wedding that they would live at Stephen’s house. It was a little bit bigger than Shelby’s and Cody and Haley had decided to take her place. When they arrived home they opened the door and everyone yelled surprise. Shelby jumped and Stephen chuckled.

  “How did you guys get in here?” he asked sternly. “I made a key” Samantha told him. Shelby looked around to see that her family and his had all come. “How was the trip?” John asked giving Shelby a hug. “It was so much fun dad. The last day we went rafting and ate at such a great restaurant.”

  “I am glad that you all had a good time. I hope that you don’t mind but we organized the house.”

  “It looked horrible Stephen” his sister said sternly. “Be nice to him” Madison said to her. Samuel and Madison would have to leave later that night but they had enjoyed getting to know everyone. “I know and thank you” he told Samantha. Later Samantha and Haley got Shelby alone and asked about their wedding night. Stephen noticed that Shelby was blushing and that Haley and Samantha were giggling. He shook his head and looked at John and his dad.

  “Women” john said laughing. “You’re telling me” he told him. “I just wanted to tell you again how happy I am that you’re with my daughter. I know I can trust you to take care of her.”

  “Thanks” Stephen told him. Their family stayed over for dinner that Cody had made and talked for a bit before leaving the house. “Well this is it, how do you like it?” Stephen asked her. “I love it here. I can’t believe they managed to make it look so good in here.”

  “I had my doubts” Shelby said laughing. Stephen snorted and brought Shelby over and into his arms. “I love you so much Shelby” he told her. “I love you two” she told him. Over the next few weeks things were perfect. Shelby taught class and Stephen worked at the auto body shop and they would come home and have dinner. Shelby was getting a lot better at cooking and Stephen was helping out more with cleaning. They were still very close to both sides of their family and things seemed to be going well for them. Stephen laid awake one night thanking God for all he had given him and closed his eyes. How were they to know that things were about to change in a way they weren’t prepared for.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “So what is our plan for tomorrow” Shelby asked Stephen when he came home. “What do you mean?” he asked distracted. “Well I am off for winter break and you told me we could spend more time together. I thought we could go for a day trip somewhere tomorrow.”

  “I am sorry Shelby but I am going to Paris Texas tomorrow to meet a supplier. Remember I told you last week.”

  “Oh” she said looking down. “Don’t worry we will do something later this week” he told her. Shelby was excited to do things with Stephen but he was having a supplier to meet and he had been tense. “Can’t you go in later today” Shelby asked him upset the next morning. “Shelby you know how important this meeting is. I could be getting more business and more supplies.”

  “I know that and I support you in everything you do but you know I had been looking forward to spending some time with you.”

  “I know that you have but this came up last week. I have to get going.”

  “That is it?” she asked upset. “What do you want from me?” he screamed at her. “Could you at least make it home early?” she asked him. “That is enough Shelby. You’re starting to make me angry. I try to spend as much time as I can with you and you’re making me feel guilty. Quit trying to be such a horrible person” he said and slammed the door shut. Shelby gasped as tears came down her face. He had never spoken to her like that before. Shelby knew that she was being selfish but she had been looking forward to spending time with him. She knew she had crossed the line with
him. Stephen was on his way to work and he punched the steering wheel in anger. Did Shelby honestly think he didn’t want to spend time with her? Everything that he was doing was for her. He felt horrible over what he had said to her. He would try to find some way to make it up to her. When he arrived he met Ryan out front. They were going to make their way to Paris Texas to talk to the clients. He knew it was going to be a long day so he tried to keep what happened at home out of his mind. He vowed he would apologize and make it up to Shelby. Later that morning Shelby was folding clothes when she heard the doorbell ring. She went to open it and seen Samantha standing there. Right away Samantha could tell something was wrong.

  “Hey did I come at a bad time?” she asked her. “Of course not come on in” she told her. “Shelby you don’t look so great are you alright?” she asked her. “I know I haven’t been myself the last few days. I feel like I am constantly exhausted and I got in a huge fight with Stephen this morning.”

  “What happened?” Samantha asked. As far as she knew things had been going good for them. “I started my winter break a few days ago and I had been telling Stephen I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him. Then he tells me last night that he has to go to a meeting in Paris Texas. I know that it’s important and that he didn’t know about it until last week but it upset me that we couldn’t do anything. I guess I was nagging on him too much and he had enough. He started yelling at me and telling me that I was a horrible person” she said with tears in her eyes.

  “Maybe I am horrible” she told Samantha. “Sweetheart I am sorry you fought but he was wrong to say that to you. You’re not a horrible person at all. I know he has been stressed out about these meetings because he wants everything to go well. He was probably just upset about that” she told her. “Maybe” Shelby said biting her lip. “I know, why don’t we go out to dinner tonight? Ryan told me they wouldn’t be home until real late and we could make it a girl’s night.”